July 21, 2010

Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence

This is personal essay about the person who has
the significant influence to me. That significant person is my father, Rev.
Peter Kenneth Saah. Although, my chosen person is such a cliché as he is my
father, hence he really has significance in my life. However, the significance
of my father does not only dwell on the fact that he is my father per se but
because of him as a person.

My father was career minded person, down to
earth, open-minded and with a very good personality. The above mentioned traits
of my father are the ones that made me think that he is indeed the most
significant person that has ever influenced me. I would like to create the
relation of his traits on the way he influence me.

According to Niccolo Machiavelli, “The first
method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has
around him.” From this quoted phrase from a famous author, it can be inferred
that in order for people to see how great my father is, one should look on the
way he brought me up and on the way I perceive life.

First, a person who is career minded means he
has the discipline to make everything worth it. This also means that my father
has instilled into his system that bringing food in the family’s table is
necessary which is an implication that he truly ensure that the family comes
first to him. From this note, it is proper for me to say that it never deviates
from his mind the necessity to see to it that his family is given importance. He
allows us to see that we are important for him leaving us no doubt that we are
taken care by a person with good hands.

I also value any kind of things that can make
my life better. Some readers might say that there is a down side for being
career minded however, I treat that as a positive trait. Positive in such a way
that in everything, I gave my best, keeping on my mind that futile efforts do
have a good result in the end.

Second, my father is down to earth. A person
who is down to earth means that he values humility and never let pride be the
cause of any destruction with personal dealings. I have inculcated this value
into my system, helping me to appreciate simple things in life. Without pride
within me people can see that I am accommodating. There are people who would not
hesitate to be close to me because of such personality.

Being humble does not mean that people would
just try to hurt me whenever they see an opportunity, however it is the other
way around people tend to uplift me as a person because I never hesitated to
show that I am indeed someone worthy of their trust and time.

The third characteristic of my father is being
open-minded. It is unusual for fathers to have this trait because there are
fathers who would want to control their children in accordance to their
established rules. In my case, control is not the vital ingredient of a
relationship but growth. As he was open-minded, he let me explore and exhaust my
potentials and capabilities.

He never tried to discourage me to pursue the
things that I like. In addition, he openly accepts me in case I have committed
any mistakes. As he listens to us when we grieved over such mistakes, he gives
me advices thus making me more see life in a more positive way.

This trait of my father allows me to become a
better each other, attributed to the fact that he let grow on my own. Personal
growth is one of the reasons why I consider myself as the best right now.

Lastly, he has a good personality. As I have
said in one of the first paragraphs, I saw the traits of my father not because
he is my father but because of whom he is a person. People have a high regard to
him, especially for those who listens to his sermons. His personality draw saw
many people to listen to him and live their lives as to what my father preaches.

Indeed, because of his characteristics, I see
life as an opportunity to be who I am, to be better each day and to understand
every person which I may meet because each of our are individuals deserving to
see life as the greatest gift of all.